


Be the One To Light the Way

by iamthegps



Series: Am I My Brother's Keeper? (I Am) [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Autistic Clones, Baby Clones (Star Wars), Discussions of slavery, Echo & Dogma are autistic, Fives is NT and extremely anxious, Fix-It, Gen, I really can't stress enough how terrible the clones' childhoods are, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jedi Order- The Shookening, Kaminoans Being Assholes (Star Wars), Mace Windu is gonna cut a bitch, Obi-Wan is about to go from Tired Dad to Exhausted Dad, Pray for him, and my single-handed quest to make that an official tag, internalized ableism, will never cease to be one of my favorite tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29914998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamthegps/pseuds/iamthegps
Summary: After a year on the run Fives, Echo, and Dogma have finally- reluctantly- reached Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. Now the Jedi have three traumatized children on their hands, news of an army they never asked for made to fight a war that hasn't started,  and the same feeling of impending darkness that's been clouding the Force since Naboo. And as if that weren't enough there are those out there- Sith and Kaminoan alike- who want the children they see as their property back, and they'll do anything to make it happen.(Echo and Dogma learn how to be themselves and Fives learns how to relax. Anakin gets to be a big brother, Obi-Wan goes grey before his time, and Yoda teaches children to be children. Mace just wants to kick a few people down reactor shafts. And somehow, this mess ends up changing the course of the galaxy.)
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, Dogma & CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Dogma & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, lots - Relationship, those are the big four
Series: Am I My Brother's Keeper? (I Am) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100738
Comments: 26
Kudos: 78





	Be the One To Light the Way

**Author's Note:**

> Oy it's time for part three! Because I finally finished the first chapter! I'm on a streak, man... So a couple people asked me last time how old everyone's supposed to be and that was when I realized I had never actually specified. Whoops. The timeline's a mess, so I'm going off of what I've read on Wookieepedia so have mercy on me, I think I got it close to right.
> 
> The cloning project started in 32 BBY, the same year as the Battle of Naboo. This story is set in 25 BBY, so Anakin is 16ish, Five and Echo are 5 standard (10 developed), and Dogma is 4 standard (8 developed). Their ages are kind of arbitrary, but I wanted to take into account that Fives and Echo are younger than Rex (since they were shinies on Rishi) and Dogma's younger than them (since he was a shiny on Umbara).

Fives had the distant thought that if he and his brothers got any closer to the viewport they'd need a scraper to get them off. As soon as the General had given them the all clear to get up Echo and Dogma had dragged him over to look out at the vast expanse of Coruscant stretching out below them. The view had overwhelmed even Fives' lingering anxiety.

There wasn't a sim on Kamino or a market day on Morintuur that could have prepared them for the sight of Coruscant during the morning rush. Neon signs flashed from every building advertising foods and people and businesses they'd never heard of. The streets were crowded with sentients of every variety they'd ever seen and more, pressed shoulder to shoulder as they pushed their way through the crowd, swarming in and out of the chaotic mix of buildings competing for space on the surface levels. They sailed past a floating billboard as large as their ship and the General maneuvered into one of the dozens of traffic lanes snaking through the atmosphere.

"Look at all those people! And the ships! And the speeders!" Dogma whispered, looking awestruck. He rocked back and forth in that way he did that Fives had come to learn meant excitement.

A clatter, a swear, and a knock preceded Commander Skywalker into the common area. All three of them jumped. "Dogma! Formation!" Fives hissed. In a well-practiced maneuver Dogma stopped rocking, spun, and snapped into a parade rest just as the Jedi came through the door. Fives and Echo shared a breath of relief. 

"Hey, uh, Master Obi-Wan sent me to tell you that we'll be at the Temple in half an hour. We're going straight up to the Council and it's probably gonna be a long meeting, so if you're hungry you should go ahead and eat now." 

They shared a glance. "Is there enough left?" Echo asked. "We can wait if we need to." They Jedi had been generous with their rations, rations that they knew had originally been meant for two. Supplies had to be running low by now. A look somewhere between anger and sympathy flashed across the Commander's face. Fives couldn't help feeling they'd done something wrong, and he felt his chest tighten. 

"You don't have to worry about that," Skywalker said. "Master Obi-Wan picked up more rations when we realized we were taking you with us. And even if he hadn't we'd share it with you anyway. It'd be cruel not to." 

Huh. Fives knew a lot of the trainers were critical of the Jedi, calling them soft and weak, but _kind_ hadn't entered into it. He wondered what else the trainers had left out of their rants. A small hopeful spark warmed his chest. 

"It would be okay," he replied proudly, feeling the sudden urge to put the Commander at ease. "We've already passed that part of training, so we can go two whole cycles without eating and we'll still function just fine." Oh kriff. _That_ plan hadn't worked. Skywalker looked like he was about to murder someone. Time for take two. "Thank you for asking though, sir. I am kind of hungry." 

"I like the peanut butter ones." Dogma was still in parade rest but they could see him starting to wiggle. "Are there any more of those?" The Commander finally smiled again and all three clones relaxed a bit. 

"Yeah, he got a whole box of those and he doesn't even like peanut butter! You guys can grab whatever you want, I'm gonna take a few and give them to Master Obi-Wan." He must have sensed their desire to be left alone (Fives had always heard that Jedi could read minds- that was cool and scary at the same time) because he grabbed a handful of bars and bolted for the cockpit. 

"He was... _nice_." Confusion colored Echo's voice. "That was weird."

"Do you think all the _Jetiise_ are like that?" Dogma asked, digging into a ration bar. In the absence of the Jedi he had gone back to his rocking. "Dunno how they'll be very good COs." 

"It doesn't seem like they know a lot about the training regimen," Echo agreed. "Maybe that's what the Council wants to talk about." The reminder of their impending Council appointment made Fives' stomach cramp. He breathed deep and forced himself to relax.

"I guess we'll find out," he said. "Toss me one of the ones with the chocolate chips in them, Dogma. Those are my favorites."

=-=-=-=-=

Obi-Wan looked at the trio of clones edging off the ship and felt the urge to sigh. Any progress they had made toward getting them to relax on the trip back from Alderaan was rolled back the moment they had landed in the Temple hangar. They stood ramrod straight and glued to each other, fear rolling off of them in heavy waves in spite of their expressionless faces. Fear, not of potential punishment, but of its certainty.

Anakin was scowling bitterly at the horizon, as he had been doing ever since he had gone to tell the boys they were landing soon. He had stormed back into the cockpit and begun ranting about slavers and people who starved children; it hadn't taken very long to get the whole story out of him, as upset as he was. Obi-Wan was no more pleased than him, but as the sole adult on the flight he had carefully kept his peace. Was there a small part of him that wanted to turn around, fly to Kamino, and batter some people with his lightsaber hilt? _Yes._

But that was the last thing he needed to do, and he knew it, so he pushed his anger into the Force and smiled. "Are you ready?" Three stiff nods. "Right this way, then. I'll lead you to the Council chamber." He led the way with Anakin following, keeping pace with the clones. It was rather like being followed by a squad of ducklings. He would have laughed if things weren't so serious. 

The rumor mill must have begun turning as soon as they called in the news because it seemed as though every Jedi in the Temple has turned up to look at their new finds. Obi-Wan's stern glare (a perfect mimic of Qui-Gon's Temple-famous 'kriff off already' original) was enough to keep the more curious at bay until he ushered the boys into the main lift. He felt some of their tension ease when the doors shut. 

_Breathe, Anakin,_ he instructed, placing a hand on his padawan's shoulder. _Your anger will do you no good right now._

_How many other slaves do we have out there?_ Anakin shot back, rigid under Obi-Wan's hand. He sighed and tried to relax. _I'm sorry, Master. I'm just... having a hard time with this._ Obi-Wan slid his hand to Anakin's other shoulder and caught him in a light embrace. 

_I know, Padawan. There is much here to be angry about, but we cannot let that anger control us. We _will_ do something about the clones, but we cannot do our best if we don't think clearly. ___

__The lift juddered to a stop and opened up to the Council reception room, desk manned by one nervous-looking Nautolan padawan. "The Council is awaiting you inside, Master Kenobi," she said, her eyes drifting over the clones._ _

__"Thank you, padawan." Obi-Wan turned to the clones. As he'd feared, they were as frightened as they'd been on Alderaan and just as ready to bolt at the drop of a hat. This meeting had the potential to turn into a disaster if the Council wasn't careful. He crouched down to their height and waited until all three were looking at him. "Before we go in there, I want to make some things clear- neither I, nor Anakin, nor the Council will do anything to hurt you. We will be asking you some questions, but there are no wrong answers, even if the answer is 'I don't know'. If any of you need to stop for a while, you are allowed to. Do you understand?" They nodded. "Good. In that case, let's go in and face the Council together."_ _

__When they entered to begin the debrief, every chair in the Council was filled. He'd expected that, given the momentous and disturbing nature of what they had discovered. He led the children to the center of the room and bowed to the assembled masters. "Masters, I am able to report that our mission to Alderaan was a complete success. I have already finished and submitted the reports."_ _

__"Discuss the Alderaan mission later, we will," Yoda said with a wave of his hand. "These younglings, I believe, are more important." He got down from his chair and hobbled toward the clones, who stood at parade rest. Even at ten at the most they already towered over him. "Your names, will you tell me?"_ _

__All three boys snapped from parade rest into perfect salutes. Obi-Wan felt a ripple of discomfort from the Council. They introduced themselves individually this time, instead of letting Fives speak for them._ _

__"CT-27-5555, sir!"_ _

__"CT-21-0408, sir!"_ _

__"CT-24-3972, sir!"_ _

__Yoda smiled gently, Master Windu looked about as ready to kill someone as Anakin did, and the rest of the Council couldn't seem to decided where they landed between disgusted and horrified. Yoda gave Fives a soft poke. "Be at rest. I asked for your _names_ , younglings. A number is not a name, hmm?" They went back to parade rest and shared a quick glance. _ _

__"My name is Fives, sir."_ _

__"Echo, sir."_ _

__"I'm Dogma, General."_ _

__"General, you call me! Yet no army I lead. Why is this?"_ _

__"We're not ready yet, sir," Fives said. "But the _Kaminiise_ said when we are the Jedi'll be in charge of us."_ _

__"And why did they tell you that, Fives?" Mace asked. Obi-Wan had already told the Council what they had said about being made to serve the Jedi, but he suspected the Council would want to hear it from the source. This time it was Echo who answered._ _

__"Them and the trainers said it's the Jedi who paid for us." Obi-Wan saw a flicker of anger pass over Anakin's face. He pushed a wave of calm over to him. "But General Kenobi didn't know who we were. Why didn't you tell him?"_ _

There was a brief silence while the Council mulled over the best response to that but before they could fill it an explosion of _fearpanicterror_ flooded the room. Obi-Wan jerked towards the clones. Echo held himself so rigid he was shaking, staring at the floor like he was trying to figure out how to vanish into it. Fives' eyes were darting between the Council, his brothers, and the door. Obi-Wan knew that look- it was the look of someone who was trying to figure out how best to get innocents out of a hostile environment. Only Dogma seemed unaffected, looking to his brothers with confusion.

__"I- I'm so sorry, Generals, he didn't mean to be disrespectful." Fives shoved himself in front of his brother, blocking Echo from the Council's sight. He was breathing much too fast and his eyes were still darting around the Council, waiting to see who would strike first. "I'll make sure he doesn't do it again, I promise." Mace raised a hand, trying to forestall him. Fives took a half step back and flinched._ _

__"Hey, Fives, look at me." Anakin had intervened before Obi-Wan could, blocking Fives' view of the Council. He waited until the clone made eye contact. "You remember when Master Obi-Wan said that nobody in here would hurt you?" A small, frantic nod. "He meant it. Nobody is going to hit you. Ever. Even if you do something wrong, or say something wrong, they still won't. Do you trust me?" A few deep breaths, a hesitation, and a calmer nod. "That's great. If you can trust me, you can trust them, okay?"_ _

__"Yes, sir," Fives whispered. Anakin almost scowled at the honorific, but he stepped away from Fives and back toward Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around his shoulders and felt Anakin lean in. Echo and Dogma closed ranks around their brother, pressing shoulder to shoulder._ _

__"Wait until tomorrow, we can, if you wish," Yoda was careful to keep his distance. The rest of the Council nodded its agreement. "Perhaps that would be best, hmm?"_ _

__All three shook their heads. "Thank you, sir, but we'd rather do it now," Echo said. "Better-" He cut himself off when Fives pinched him and gave him an offended look, rubbing his wrist. Fives only looked a little sorry._ _

__"Are you sure about that?" Mace asked. He had put his hands in his pockets, Obi-Wan noticed, and held himself still._ _

__"Yes, sir," came the simultaneous response._ _

__"Very well. Why don't you take a seat and we'll start by telling you what _we_ know?"_ _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. I really am. The next chapter is worse. As they say, it only gets worse before it gets better, and the boys have _a lot_ of stuff to work through before they can fully recover. I'll try to go less than a month without posting again. Leave a kudos or a comment if you liked it and I'll see you next chapter, where the Council learns the true meaning of Shook™.


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